First Drive: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Dark clouds obscure the horizon, rain is bucketing down and the race track is soaked.

In any other situation you would probably watch from the sidelines, marvelling at the foolhardy drivers.

But not in the new generation Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

On
sale this month, the Evo exhibits
the kind of aggressive tenacity that can only come from a four-wheel
drive rally-bred
car, capable of delivering velcro-like grip even in soaking conditions,
and enough surging turbo acceleration to make you grin like a kid in a
candy store.

With
more all-wheel drive gubbins and traction trickery than ever before,
the new generation Evolution has arrived in Australia, and yes, it lives
up to the hype.

It's got a more advanced, light weight, all
aluminium 2.0-litre turbo engine, a fancy 4WD torque distribution and
traction control system controlled by a new super-computer brain, and
a brand new twin clutch automatic transmission to ensure rapid power
delivery, all of which contributes to one of the most satisfying and drivable performance cars ever made.

Put simply, one of the best just got better.

And the icing on the cake? This is the first time an Evo has been offered with a 10-inch sub woofer. Rock on!

Driving around Winton Raceway in the soakingwet showed how well engineered the new Evo is

Switches, Buttons & Rumours

While
the Subaru WRX STI is festooned with a range of initially confusing
torque distribution and throttle controls, the Evolution keeps it
simple. There are three options to control how the central differential
apportions torque front to rear - tarmac, gravel, snow.

We
used the gravel setting on the wet racetrack because it offers a more
balanced torque split, and on the road (when it dried up) we used the
tarmac setting which delivers a more dynamic feel.

There
are also a couple of options on the twin clutch SST, including the
normal mode which is good for long distance touring, and the sports and
tiptronic modes, which are suited to hardcore, at-the-limit driving.

Rumours: The
behind the scenes talk centred on the Ralliart brand in Australia,
which will grow to include the Lancer Ralliart priced at around $40,000
to rival the Subaru Impreza WRX, the Lancer Sportback Ralliart, and an
updated Colt Ralliart by the end of the year. Ralliart also hopes to
expand its performance parts and merchandising areas in the near future.

There
will be a new 2.4-litre 'luxury' Lancer released soon, and talk
also turned to a new Triton-based SUV and the possibility of a
diesel-powered Outlander with the dual clutch SST.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution isone of the best drivers cars ever built

First there was rain, then snow on the alps, butin both dry and wet, the Evo lived up to its name

The interior has a come a long way, from being aplastic-fantastic rattle box to this - a quality cabin

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (it's only known as the
Evolution X in Japan) is arguably the boldest update of Mitsubishi's
most famous model since it first emerged in the early 1990s.

It's
still got an insane 4-cylinder turbo engine that gives the car the sort
of acceleration usually only experienced in 8-cylinder sports cars,
it's still got mad levels of AWD grip and cornering tenacity, but it's
demeanour has changed somewhat.

It's a much easier (or should I say less painful) car to drive day to day.

Chris
Maxted, the product strategy manager for Mitsubishi Motors Australia,
talked about moving the car in a premium position. The new Evolution is
about "not just raw performance, but livable performance," said Maxted.

The
Evo's shift from raw to regal is already having an effect: of the more
than 100 pre-orders for the car, 80 per cent of these were
for the $70,000+ fancy pantsMR model, and 95% of all pre-orders have been ordered with the SST (sport shift transmission).

Indeed,
one of the biggest changes for the new Evolution is the SST dual clutch
gearbox, which now gives the Lancer Evolution a 6-speed automatic with
which to entice drivers.

Together with a slightly more
compliant ride, the range of luxury enhancements includes a thumping
stereo, high resolution touch-screen sat nav and iPod connectivity,
smart key system, Bluetooth phone connectivity with voice recognition,
rain sensing wipers, seven airbags, and for the first time on an
Evolution model cruise control.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia was
very clear and quietly confident when it said it wanted to attract a
broader range of buyers, the kind of drivers who would normally opt for
vehicles like the Nissan 350Z, Mazda RX-8 and Volkswagen Golf R32.

It's
a much nicer and more refined car to cruise around in thanks to a more
tractable engine with more low end shunt (but still keeps its banzai
7000rpm+ character), and it's not as rattly and raw as it used to be
which will displease the die-hards but will benefit Mitsubishi in the
long run.

Mitsubishi
will also offer a "performance pack" for those who want to stay with
the 5-speed manual but want the improved chassis. It costs $5,500 and
adds the two piece brake rotors, Bilstein shockers and Eibach
springs plus the lighter 18-inch forged aluminium BBS wheels.

On The Track

It's
been raining cats and dogs, it's bitterly cold, and the race track
doesn't look very inviting. But we were eager to drive the Mitsubishi
Lancer Evolution.

As it turned out, the slippery track allowed us to test the various electronic AWD and traction systems rather intensively.

After
settling into the tight-fitting Recaro racing seats - an Evolution
staple - and being waved on by the track marshals, it became clear that
the Evo spirit endures. Though the Evolution has grown up in a lot of
ways, the fundamentals are still there: direct steering, rigid chassis,
storming engine and excellent communication.

The engine generates
huge amounts of torque - 366Nm @ 3500rpm - and the turbo rush that
typified Evo's of yore returns. The car is super quick, but for myriad
reasons (mainly reduced noise, vibration, and harshness levels) you
never feel as though you're going quite as fast, which is testament to
the improved chassis because in reality you will be lapping just as
quickly, if not moreso, than past Evolution models.

The 4B11 T/C engine replaces the outgoing 4G63 T/C mill and is the first all-new engine since the Evo VI
came to Australia. Because it replaces the cast iron engine block with
an aluminium one it's 12kg lighter and a new turbocharger
developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries adds around 20% more poke at
low revs.Here are the vitals:

217kW @ 6500rpm366Nm @ 3500rpm

As
Mitsubishi explained, the various scoops and vents on the bonnet, the
large rear wing and diffuser are not just for boy-racer aesthetics:
they actually help increase thermal efficiency in the engine bay and
improve high speed stability respectively.

We took the first few
laps fairly gingerly but after a couple of circuits it was as if there
was almost no water on the track. The new Evolution develops
unparalleled levels of grip thanks to generous 245/40 R18 tyres and the
extra-clever S-AWC, or super all-wheel control system, which conjures
traction magic and makes the 217kW power hit eminently manageable.

Hideyuki
Iwata, Project manager for the Lancer Evolution and the technical
director of Mitsubishi's Dakar Rally team was flown out from Japan to
be at the Australian launch and summed it up nicely saying the vehicle
provides "speed with control".

No argument there.

Iwata san explained that "After improving cornering performance, we beefed up the performance of
the AYC [active yaw control] system, which helps to alleviate tyre
scrub, and also developed a new Active Stability Control (ASC) system
that constantly monitors and operates to stabilise vehicle body
attitude."

Simply
put, the 'beefed up' active yaw control system splits engine torque
between the left and right rear wheels, essentially eliminating
understeer and giving the car a hugely positive cornering attitude.

It
changes direction very keenly, aggressively even, which is helped by
the engine mounting which is 10mm lower, a 40 per cent increase in
torsional rigidity and a 60 per cent increase inbending rigidity.

The
all-new suspension delivers 23% more lateral stiffness at the front of
the car compared to Evo IX and you can feel this as the car turns in -
it feels more direct and eager.

The stability control is also
very clever, and rather useful in wet conditions. It allows a lot of
scope for drivers try different lines and approaches to various types
of corners without too much fear of completely losing control. The 4WD
trickery allowed us to push the car a bit further each lap and by the
end of the session we were confidently drifting deep into corners under
brakes and powering out with the odd fish tail. Colin McRae would have
been proud.

Not only fast, the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is
a remarkably involving car to drive and hugely enjoyable to steer -
especially in the wet.

The two most impressive things I
discovered about the Evo on a circuit with no speed limits and no
traffic, were the communication - you can clearly feel how much
grip either the front or rear end has left and when it's about to
let go - and the brakes.

With 30mm larger rotors front and
rear (350mm and 330mm diameters respectively) compared to the Evo IX,
and clamped by Brembo calipers, the new generation Lancer Evolution has
staggering stopping power. Even in the wet the thing generates huge
G-forces under brakes, and they truly are one of the best aspects of
the Evolution.

There does seem to be slightly more body roll than
on previous models, but it is still tracks resolutely through corners
with a firm, flat attitude thanks to the rigid chassis which makes the
car eminently controllable - even in shite weather.

While the 5-speed manual transmission offers short, sharp shifts and feels
quicker (and louder) than the 6-speed automatic versions, the SST is
probably the pick of the two, offering lightning quick shifts that can
be left to the car to figure out (which it does well), or controlled by
the driver via paddle shifts or the +/- on the gear lever.

On The Road

While
the Evo is bona fide track day tool, it's also an incredible road car.
For the asking price of around $60,000, it makes bad drivers look good,
and good drivers look amazing.

The traction control system came
across as more refined than on previous Lancer Evolution cars on some
of the damp roads we drove through in the Victorian alps, keeping the
rear of the car on the straight and narrow. Though there was the odd
case of understeer when we went into corners with too much heat, on the
whole the Evo package is remarkably well sorted.

It tips into
corners very nicely and tracks through corners with aplomb, the active
yaw control diverting torque to the outside rear wheel to reduce the
effects of understeer. It's less concerned with mid-corner bumps and
cracks in the road too, as the subtle increase in suspension compliancy
allows the Mitsubishi to better absorb rough patches.

On dry
roads it's simply superb. As mentioned, the new Lancer
Evolution is one of the most communicative cars you can buy.
Period.

It feels very stable thanks to a 30mm increase in track
width, and the battery and washer fluid container have been moved to
the boot which reduces cargo space sllightly but improves the
Lancer Evolution's balance.

The engine is revvy little thing,
happy to spin up well past 7000rpm and even when you're banging on the
rev limiter it doesn't feel strained or stretched.

It charges
forward with the kind of pace that is usually only found in more exotic
cars, and though there is an unofficial benchmark time of 5.7
seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint, it feels more like a 5.5 second car.

The
small tiller delivers ultra direct steering, meaning you don't need
much input to turn the car. Even riding shotgun you can feel exactly
what the car underneath you is doing, such is it's talkative chassis;
when it's nearing it's grip limit; when one of the rear wheels wants to
spin; or whether it's going to understeer on turbo boosted full
throttle corner exits.

The 350mm front and 330mm rear brake
rotors, clamped by 4-pot Brembo calipers up front and Brembo 2-potters
at the rear, are one of the best aspects of the performance package,
giving the car the ability to strike deeper and more confidently into
corners than almost any other car I've tested.

It's quite
stunning how deep you can push the new generation Evolution into
corners before you have to jump the brake pedal: it washes off speed
like a windscreen wiper washes off water.

Mitsubishi has kept the
Evolution's jaw-dropping performance levels intact, but by adding
a range of comfort and luxury features to the package and including
things like an automatic transmission and cruise control, it's well and
truly up there with cars like the VW R32 in terms of refinement and
ease of use.

Keen to attract a wider audience to the new model,
which is larger in every respect than its predecessor and therefore
roomier, Mitsubishi now offers a complete luxury package with the
range-topping Evolution MR.

In the past it was a brave driver who
used the rally-bred Mitsubishi Evolution as a daily driver, but not
anymore. Somewhere along the way the Evolution has learned the meaning
of civility, and that Mitsubishi has managed to do this without
diluting its berserker attitude is astonishing.

While the car is
still very stiffly sprung - you still feel most bumps in the road
- it has a smoother, more compliant ride than previously and
everything feels far more sophisticated. The cockpit looks better, the
materials are of a higher quality, and thank Zeus someone had the
foresight to include cruise control.

If you opt for the Evolution
MR, you'll be surrounded by leather and suede as you call up maps on
the high resolution touch-screen display, but both models have the
heavily bolstered Recaro sports seats that do a great job of keeping
your body immobile as you spear through high-G corners.

On the
road the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has more civility than before,
particularly when paired with the dual clutch SST, but loses none of
its tractive tenacity nor its blazing acceleration.

I really
want to wax textual for hours about how good this car is, how far it
has come in this last generation, how scintillating it is to
drive, how rewarding it is to power out of corners on full turbo boost,
how good the dual clutch gearbox is,and how intriguing the match-up against it's arch-rival the Subaru WRX STI will be.

But that will have wait for our full week-long test drive...

Conclusion

As one of the most famous Japanese performance cars of the last two decades, the Evolution is back in its most potent form yet.

Mitsubishi's engineers
and designers wanted to improve two aspects of the Lancer
Evolution - the pleasure of driving and the satisfaction of
ownership.

It has succeeded in both, creating a more complete car.

At
times the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution doesn't feel as fast or as
raw as its precursor, which will appeal to those looking for
day-to-day car as well as a high performance automobile. But in reality
the Evo's speed and agility are somewhat masked by the improved
refinement and compliancy, and it's not until you look at the
speedometer or the lap timer that you realise
how fast it can be.

It took 300,000 man hours to develop, but
takes only a few corners to appreciate. It's one of the best driver's
cars ever created, with a huge amount of power and the levels of grip
and mammoth stopping power totally blew me away. The way it holds fast
through corners - even in the wet - has to be experienced to be
believed.